Yarnbombing 31C3
| Description | This session, which is getting a tradition at XC3, will first give a colorful and practical introduction into the art of guerillaknitting, with many inspiring examples of global knit hacking - by individuals, local and global communities with trees, bridges, tanks, cars, planes, stones or power cords covered in knitting. Attendants will learn the basics of how to yarnbomb the 31C3 (or any other place indoor or outdoor). Bring knitting needles and wool but there will also be some material available (if you want to donate yarn, bring it along or bring it to the T-Shirt Shop). Lets join forces to beautify the congress centre! This time, I suggest we use the colour code of the 31C3 for yarnbombing (see long description for details on colours and measures). |
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| Has website | www.randomactsofknitting.wordpress.com |
| Persons working on | Ankedb |
| Tags | guerillaknitting, urbanknitting, yarnbombing, art, knit hacking |
| Other projects... | |
I have been guerilla knitting at the last CCC conferences and have done this type of session already a couple of times. Each time was a great experience with a nice crowd of knitting attendants, hence I offer this session again :-).
BACKGROUND: Urban knitting is being done all over the world with many women and men, old and young, enjoying to beautify their environment - especially, when it is rather ugly. In a sense, they take back ownership over urban environments. Urban knitting or knit graffiti is art which does not destroy anything and creates positive feelings for the makers and passers by.
Guerilla knitters add a soft cover of color onto hard structures - trees or stones, bicycles, cars, planes, tanks or buses, benches, phone boxes, lamp poles or hand rails – or ‘you-name-it’. They also cover structures insight buildings, be it tables, chairs, microphones or power cords - and we can do exactly this at 31C3. I will bring pictures from amazing yarnbombs from all over the world, big and small ones, single knitters works or such made by thousands. I will share pictures of my own guerillaknitting, e.g. a yarnbombed military plane at the last CCC Camp, a yarnbombed tank nearby the Ravensbrueck Concentration Camp, "lacetrees" I created with lots of doilies which look like trees covered in giant textile snowflakes in northern Brandenburg, and pics of many smaller yarnbombs too which I did in Helsinki, Warsaw, Belgrad, Vienna, Berlin and elsewhere - e.g. at the 29C3 or 30C3.
I will also share insights on how it is actually done (its easy) - so everybody who wants, can join the knit hackers crowd right at the 31C3. The technique is easy and the result always satisfying. All types of leftover yarns can be used for it. Cheap yarn is alright. You just need to know the very basics of knitting - or of crochet for that matter...it works equally fine.
This session is for those who just want to get insight into the mystery and variety of guerillaknitting but also for those who want to guerillaknit themselves, right there, in the session.
MATERIAL:
If you want to start yarnbombing at 31C3, bring the following (although there will be some material available for those you have nothing):
- knitting needles (best without cables for most purposes, take thicker ones, this will create output faster) - or a bigger crochet hook;
- any type of yarn (cheap leftovers are fine, bright colours are best (see section colours below for 31C3 colour code!), chose thicker yarn for faster results or use multiple threads at the same time);
- a thick sewing needle, best without a sharp point but with a nice big eye so you can get thicker wool threads through it (to fix knitted pieces around a specific structure);
- a measuring tape - to measure the circumference, lengths or breadths of whatever structure you want to beautify - (for some generic measures of structures at the 31C3 area see below section Measures);
- scissors (if you do not want to use your teeth ;-);
If you want to donate yarn for the guerillaknitting at this (and following) CCC events, bring them to the session or hand them over at the t-shirt shop (Thanks in advance! - btw, this year bright Yellow is most needed).
I would love to see the 31C3 area with many colourful yarnbombs! But be sure to take everything off at the end of the conference to not cause trouble and extra work for those who have to clean the place. If you take your knitting off without cutting the knitting itself, you can reuse it next year at 32C3...
MEASURES and COLOURS
Colours:
We best use colours in the order they appear in the 31C3 logo:
- red (RGB 255;90;70)->
- orange (RGB: 255;90;70) ->
- yellow (RGB: app. 242;214;75) ->
- light violet (RGB: 110;80;180) ->
- dark violet (RGB: 61;20;84)
Measures:
- table leg of the bistro tables (Stehtische) e.g. in foyer area: 19cm x 105cm
- legs of the mobile barriers e.g. at entrance in foyer area: 20cm x 80cm
- Door-rings at all major doors: app. 7cm x 107cm (I also found a length of 115cm in my notes :-/)
- hand rails in foyer area: 13cm x 108cm (those are always 2 handrails in parallel, if you want to consider it for your design)
- hand rails at chairs e.g. in foyer area: 8cm x 63cm
- hand rails in halls 1 and 2: ..... (exact measure will follow, its app. 15cm x any length you want
How to find the session?
The session takes place at 27th Dec, 6:30 - 8:00 pm. Location details will follow.
Should you miss the talk but have some questions - look our for me, I am usually knitting in the audience with lots of yarn in a rededicated beauty case. Contact me at twitter @anked, or use hashtag #31C3yarnbomb to communicate and share pics of your work at 31C3.
